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Happy Thursday again, friends! I hope the upcoming weekend holds promise for being fun and relaxing for you. I am here to tell you about another ingredient that may fit right in to said weekend.

This beverage is called the Kentucky Saint and the recipe is courtesy of La Petite Grocery, a James Beard award-winning restaurant on Magazine St. in New Orleans. Mr. Homemaker and I took a day trip to NOLA earlier this summer (for fabric shopping and eating), and this is where we chose to have a late lunch. Thank goodness we did because the service was friendly, the drinks were refreshing, and the food was delicious.

That afternoon, I went and purchased the ingredients that were listed on the menu. But no matter what ratio I tested, it didn’t taste quite right. So I sent an email to their bar manager, Julia (who happens to be from my hometown), and she graciously provided me with the official recipe. And the missing ingredient? A splash of orange juice.

This cocktail makes bourbon taste good even to the bourbon-averse among us. It has just the right amount of sweetness and citrus to compliment the bourbon. I didn’t think I would like this one but surprisingly, it is now a favorite.

Give it a try and let me know if you find it as much of a palate-pleaser as I do.

So would you like to add a quick, easy, and tasty chicken dish to your recipe box that you can whip up even on weeknights when you are exhausted? If so, look no further than this delectable specimen from the Garden and Gun blog. As you may recall, I already have a recipe for what I consider to be the best oven roasted chicken. But if you’ve tried it or read the recipe, you know that it is a little time-consuming. I mean, it can be done on a weeknight but it’s best if you do some of the prep work in advance.

This recipe, though, is so easy, you can get the bird into the oven within about 15 minutes. And you should have most of the ingredients on hand, except maybe the fresh rosemary but that will keep for a while or you could just grow some outside your back door.

I have made this chicken now 3 or 4 times and each time it is moist, tender, and very flavorful. Mr. Homemaker gives this dish his seal of approval so chances are your hungry man will, too. If you are like me and don’t like bourbon, don’t worry, it isn’t a strong flavor. If you’re like someone else in my house and you like bourbon, you could always increase the amount in the recipe to bring out the bourbon flavor.

As I talked about in my other chicken recipe post, trussing the chicken helps it cook evenly. Watch this video for a good how-to. This recipe also involves preheating a cast iron skillet in a very hot oven. Needless to say, this should necessitate care as the chicken and sauce will both sputter when added. Wear your oven mitts.

Place an average-size cast iron skillet on the lowest rack of the oven and preheat to 500F. Season the chicken all over, inside and out, with the salt and pepper, then rub with the olive oil. Truss the chicken.

Combine the rosemary, soy sauce, honey, molasses, bourbon, and Dijon mustard in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until just warm then remove from the heat and set aside.

When the oven and pan are preheated, place the chicken — breast side up — into the skillet and cook at 500F for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F and pour the prepared sauce all over the chicken. Be careful because it will sputter. Continue to roast the chicken at 350F, basting with the sauce in the bottom of the cast iron skillet every 10-15 minutes. Cook until the chicken is done, the juices run clear, and a meat thermometer inserted into the breast reaches 160F. This portion of cooking usually takes 30-45 minutes for me but will vary based on the size of your bird.

Once the chicken is done, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and place the skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Heat to a boil and boil for about 1 minute, or until the sauce has thicken slightly.

Cut the chicken into pieces and serve with the sauce. And maybe some Granny-Style Green Beans and mashed sweet potatoes.